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Enryakuji Kaikan

4220 Sakamoto Hommachi, Otsu 520-0116 Shiga Prefecture
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Traveller (91)
Dining (20)
View from Room (16)

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#1 of 1 temple lodging in Otsu
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HOTEL CLASS
2.0 of 5 stars
Languages Spoken
Japanese
Property amenities
Parking
Bar / lounge
73Reviews3Q+A3Room tips

Reviews
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mikeytbc wrote a review May 2018
NYC26 contributions25 helpful votes
Some good things but mostly bad. Was here for the Mt Hiei international trail run. Place is fully booked for the weekend and the restaurant wasn’t open for more than three hours on Friday and not at all on Saturday. There’s no place to eat on the mountain so you have to go to town. The last cable car down is at 7:30 and the gate closed for the road at seven or so, therefore you can’t wven get a taxi to town. Luckily there was a vending machine that sold over priced instant noodles and you can get hot water from your room. So now on race day...I’m done the race and waiting for my friend to finish. The restaurant is closed, so I figure I would just eat instant noodles again and get hot water from the coffee shop. Well, they wouldn’t give me hot water so I offered to buy two cups of hot tea, but with no tea. Again, no dice. So now I’m laying on the floor waiting and eating crappy salty vending machine snacks, dying for a hot meal.
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Date of stay: May 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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echoytx wrote a review June 2016
Hong Kong, China144 contributions165 helpful votes
It is a very reasonable priced accommodation option, given how popular Kyoto is with tourists, and how tight accommodations are. Despite airbnb more common in Japan, it is still rather difficult to navigate through a largely non-English speaking host list and websites. And for what you pay, the size of the room is big, the public bath spacious and clean, dinner and breakfast included (vegetarian only), view is good and the morning pray session a novelty. I found this on Tripadvisor and then booked it through JapaniCan. It is a hotel building on the mountain where the temple, or the cluster of temples lie. The location is unique and you can't argue the fact that it is a world heritage site rich in history. Driving up there is a 6000 (or so, can't remember exact but it was expensive) Yen toll fee.
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Date of stay: April 2016
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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hyseah wrote a review Mar 2016
Singapore8 contributions
Located up in the mountains in Mount Hiei, I travelled there by bus (1 hour on bus 51 or 57 from Kyoto Bus Station, twice a day only, not available during winter season). For the return trip, they provided a free shuttle bus service (9am, 10.30am and 12pm) from temple to Otsukyo Station (30 minutes), which is 2 stations away from Kyoto Station (10 minutes). Get the Lake Biwa facing room, the view and morning sunrise is fantastic! It is spacious and you sleep on comfortable tatami mats. However, my room does not come with in-room shower facilities (public bath is only opened from 4pm to 10pm). However, with the cold weather, it was manageable. The public baths are quiet, clean and relaxing and I had the whole place to myself the first night. Service staff spoke some English and everyone was genuine and helpful. The shojin vegetarian meals were nice, though it remained similar for the 2 nights I stayed. The place offered a 30 minutes’ religious devotion experience every morning, as well as meditation and good hiking options.
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Date of stay: March 2016
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Get a high floor and lake facing room.
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EELSM wrote a review Jan 2016
Asia187 contributions122 helpful votes
We were extremely lucky to be the guests of this kaikan up on the peak of Mt. Hi Enryakuji was a buddhist temple which was founded some 1200 years ago. The compound is huge with more than 10 temples spread over endless ground. The quiet retreat can be reached from Kyoto within 45 min by train and cable car. Our room faced the lovely lake Biwa and we had the most stunning night view with moon shining on the lake. The bathroom was spotless and had very modern features. There was also a public bath and meals were simple but it was expected. Please be mindful of transportation to the temple as some options are not available during winter time. We had to spend 6000 yen to hire taxi from the nearby station to the temple lodging. We were offered free shuttle bus to nearby JR station after our stay, it was very nice of them. The lodge offered zen meditation classes for a small fee in Japanese. We attended a session and it was quite OK as one does not need to talk during meditation. There were numerous walking paths and all of them just wonderful with huge trees and freshest mountain air. We had a lovely time there and the experience was most unique and will certainly return again.
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Date of stay: January 2016
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: A room that faces the lake
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Public_Dave wrote a review Jan 2015
Hong Kong, China188 contributions249 helpful votes
Rarely in life does one get to stay inside the grounds of a UNESCO World Heritage site. One also expects, when one stays at an hotel associated with a 1,200 year old temple complex, that it might be a bit drafty and uncomfortable. Nothing could be further from the truth. The start was unpromising, actually. We arrived after a vexing drive from Takayama to Otsu on the Meishin Expressway, and the last several hours was near gridlock traffic (it was just after New Year). We consequently arrived at night, around 630, it was dark, and the toll way that allows one access to the hotel and temple complex was shut due to icy conditions of the road. fortunately, I rang the hotel and they sent a van to pick us up within 15 minutes. A few others arrived at the same time. The road up to the temple area was impossibly mysterious and romantic, the peak snow covered. We were ushered to a hotel that looked very new, yet which blended in beautifully with its surroundings. We were given a wonderful room, after which we went down and had probably the best vegetarian meal I've ever had in the dining room. We then went to the baths, and I had it all to myself after dinner around 8ish. The room was spectacular and large, with state of the art fixtures, and the room was the perfect temperature and the bedding all very snug and cozy. It was next morning though that I fully appreciated the stark beauty of the hotel in which we were staying, snow covering the cedars and pines outside. We were able to walk to the nearby temples before they had opened to visitors, and it felt like we were given access to a most wonderful secret place, a paradise. My wife and I wanted to bring our children back every season, to see and appreciate the changes to this magical place in all of its colors and richness. We were very sorry to leave having just stayed one night, and will be back, for 2 or 3 days at least next time. Very few hotels in the world, ever, have had this effect upon us.
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Date of stay: January 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with family
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Diago_34 wrote a review Dec 2014
Oxford, United Kingdom127 contributions61 helpful votes
I was told that until a few years ago Enryakuji kaikan was only for pilgrims visiting the important temples on Mount Hiei, but now it is open to all visitors and most rooms are very spacious, ours was with two comfortable twin beds, and a tatami area, with futons available for another 4 or 5 people. The room was very spacious, clean, warm and comfortable, with an entrance area, bathroom etc., and with a wide window overlooking the shore of lake Biwa, about 800 metres below, with a small town whose lights create a magic landscape in the dark, together with the odd ferry moving on the lake, the largest in Japan. Staying at Enryakuji Kaikan also gives you the opportunity to sample excellent vegetarian (vegan) food in the tradition of Shojin Ryori. This has to be booked in advance and the meals are taken in a very large refectory, where many visitors arrive donning the yukata which is provided in the rooms. The meals are abundant, and full of variety, colours, and textures. For breakfast, apart from the usual fresh salad, there is a kind of miso soup, and some substantial tofu dishes, with various drinks on offer, from green tea to an Oolong type and many others. The cost is that of a three-star hotel, the service is good, and the stay memorable. In the morning you can join a Buddhist service in one of the temples, and before leaving I would recommend a visit to the shop in the ground floor of the hotel, where there are many interesting items of clothing, postcards, Buddhist items and other omyage.
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Date of stay: October 2014
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Rooms on the top floor overlooking the lake offer great views. They look East and you can enjoy a...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Gogogaijingirl wrote a review Dec 2012
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom148 contributions42 helpful votes
We had a very relaxing stay for one night here and a great night's sleep. It 's a modern hotel block within the temple complex. Staff were very helpful and friendly - one of the receptionists later sought us out to provide more information she'd not given us at check in. Rooms were traditional Japanese style with tatami matting and very nice. The food (all vegetarian) was served in a large dining area with a view of the lake, and was excellent - beautifully presented and tasty. The baths were very nice too with views down the mountain. We got up very early the next day to go to go to the Buddhist service at the main hall which was a lovely experience. There was a free shuttle bus to the station at Otsu at 10-30am which, due to our early start, allowed us enough time to explore the temple in the morning and pretty much have it to ourselves, which was very atmospheric. Alhough it felt very modern and doesn't have the same character as the temple lodgings at Koya-san it's a great place to get away from it all and relax.
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Date of stay: November 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
AU$320 - AU$373 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
JapanKinkiShiga PrefectureOtsuNorthern Kyoto
NUMBER OF ROOMS
60
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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ENRYAKUJI KAIKAN: 2024 Prices & Reviews (Otsu, Japan - Shiga) - Photos of Shukubo - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Enryakuji Kaikan
Which popular attractions are close to Enryakuji Kaikan?
Nearby attractions include Eikando Zenrinji Temple (7.6 km), Shugakuin Imperial Villa (4.4 km), and Sanzen-in Temple (5.4 km).
What food & drink options are available at Enryakuji Kaikan?
Guests can enjoy a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Enryakuji Kaikan?
Yes, parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Enryakuji Kaikan?
Conveniently located restaurants include Falafel Garden, Myodai Omen Ginkakuji Honten, and Grill Ninjin.
Are there any historical sites close to Enryakuji Kaikan?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Shugakuin Imperial Villa (4.4 km), Hosenin (5.6 km), and Honen-in (6.6 km).